Look what’s at stake: Tomato growing is huge

But prep work is key to high yield

Young tomato plants generally come in three sizes. From left (above), one mature plant in a 4-inch pot ($1.50), a bonus pack of six plants ($2.99), and a pony pack of six plants ($1.60).
— Charlie Neuman / UNION-TRIBUNE

Young tomato plants generally come in three sizes. From left (above), one mature plant in a 4-inch pot ($1.50), a bonus pack of six plants ($2.99), and a pony pack of six plants ($1.60).
— Charlie Neuman / UNION-TRIBUNE

SIMPLE STEPS FOR PLANTING

Doris Soyland recently demonstrated the steps for raising your own crop of plump, luscious tomatoes. While a container was used for this demonstration, tomatoes may be planted 12 to 18 inches apart in the ground in amended soil. The steps for a successful harvest are the same.

1. Young tomato plants generally come in three sizes. From left (above), one mature plant in a 4-inch pot ($1.50), a bonus pack of six plants ($2.99), and a pony pack of six plants ($1.60). “The difference between a bonus pack and a pony pack is maturity,” said Soyland. Plants in the bonus pack are more established than the younger seedlings.

2. Select your container. It can be a 1.5-cubic-foot plastic tub, wooden wine barrel half, terra-cotta pot or other clean, large container with good drainage. Fill container with potting mix. Then dig a generous hole.

3. Remove plant from container, gently loosening roots if they are root bound. Take off lowest leaves on the stem up to 3 to 4 inches and bury the plant to that depth. “This will stabilize the tomato and produce more roots,” she said.

4. Water thoroughly at the base of the plant (not overhead) with a vitamin and hormone solution such as SuperThrive added to the water (about $5.95 for 2 ounces of the highly concentrated liquid.) “Check every few days. If leaves are droopy in the morning, this will give you an indication of how many days to go between watering. Do not use leaves drooping after a hot afternoon as your guide, and don’t pick tomatoes until 24 to 48 hours after watering,” she said.

5. Insert a tomato cage (from about $3.95,) or use a stake that is at least 6 feet tall. “If you’ll be staking the tomato, don’t wait to put it in later, you’ll disturb the roots,” Soyland said.

Situated on 4 acres on a main street in San Marcos, Green Thumb Nursery offers a large selection of annuals, perennials, ornamental shrubs and trees as well as fountains, pots and statuary. The nursery is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone: (760) 744-3822 or visit greenthumb.com.

Soyland adds a capful of Superthrive vitamins and minerals to the water she’ll be using to feed the plant.
— Charlie Neuman / UNION-TRIBUNE

Some say “tow-MAY-to”; some say “tow-MAH-to.” The French once referred to it as a “love apple” and the Germans called it a “wolf peach.” In even earlier times, this member of the nightshade family was considered poisonous and eschewed for all but ornamental purposes.

But today, the tomato is one of the most common garden fruits (yes, botanically, it’s a fruit).

“Tomato growing is a huge thing,” said Doris Soyland, a California Certified Nursery Professional with Green Thumb Nursery in San Marcos. “People are really planting. It used to be just the veteran gardeners. But in the past five years I’ve seen a younger generation coming in and getting involved.”

At this time of year the tomato’s definitely the most popular plant in the nursery. At Green Thumb, you’ll find more than 100 hybrid, heirloom and organic tomato varieties. And business is brisk.